Our Purpose

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About Us

We are independent from the state and county agencies that work on behalf of children and families. We listen to the public about their experience with and concerns about child protection, research and investigate those concerns, and determine the best way to resolve each concern. Our work also allows us to collaborate with lawmakers, professionals and other stakeholders to advance legislation and policies that will have a lasting, positive impact on our children and families.

Our Mission

The Office of Colorado’s Child Protection Ombudsman (CPO) is committed to ensuring the state’s child protection system consistently provides high quality services to every child, family and community in Colorado.

How We Work for Colorado

Colorado’s Child Protection Ombudsman was created to ensure the state’s complex child protection system consistently provides high quality services to every child, family and community in Colorado.

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Listen

We listen to people about their experience with and concerns about child protection.

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Investigate

We research and investigate concerns reported by any Coloradan about service delivery within the child protection system.

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Resolve

We determine the best way to resolve concerns – that might mean bridging communication barriers or resolving conflicts based on misunderstanding.

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Identify Trends

We identify trends where the community’s needs have changed and the system hasn’t had the funding, resources or practices to keep up with it. As a result, we make public recommendations for system improvement.

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Lasting Change

We convene lawmakers, professionals and other stakeholders to advance legislation and policies that have a lasting, positive impact on children and families.

How We Work for Colorado

Colorado’s Child Protection Ombudsman was created to ensure the state’s complex child protection system consistently provides high quality services to every child, family and community in Colorado.

icon

Listen

We listen to people about their experience with and concerns about child protection.

icon

Investigate

We research and investigate concerns reported by any Coloradan about service delivery within the child protection system.

icon

Resolve

We determine the best way to resolve concerns – that might mean bridging communication barriers or resolving conflicts based on misunderstanding.

icon

Identify Trends

We identify trends where the community’s needs have changed and the system hasn’t had the funding, resources or practices to keep up with it. As a result, we make public recommendations for system improvement.

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Lasting Change

We convene lawmakers, professionals and other stakeholders to advance legislation and policies that have a lasting, positive impact on children and families.

Our Team

Stephanie Villafuerte

Colorado’s Child Protection Ombudsman​

Stephanie Villafuerte has served as Colorado’s Child Protection Ombudsman since 2015. For the past 25 years, Ms. Villafuerte has dedicated her legal and public policy career to improving the plight of abused and neglected children.

FAQs

Anyone who has concerns regarding Colorado’s child protection system. We often hear from parents, grandparents, foster parents, attorneys, child protection professionals, mental health providers and medical professionals and youth in foster care or the Division of Youth Services.

The CPO is charged with hearing the public’s complaints related to services administered by any public agency or provider that receives public money to support the safety, permanency or well-being of children. We also help Coloradans navigate the complex child protection system and connect them with resources.

The CPO will contact you regarding your complaint within two business days of receiving a message. We will research your complaint – this may include reviewing records we have independent access to that are not otherwise available to the public. We may also contact relevant agencies. Once the case is closed, we will contact you.

The CPO office has a strict confidentiality policy. We keep the identities of individuals from whom information is acquired confidential. The statute that governs our office only requires us to release identifying information if it is necessary for us to perform our duties or support recommendations resulting from our research, cases or an investigation. If that is the case, we will inform you. The CPO will release the information to the proper authorities should the contact make any statements of credible harm to themselves or to someone else.

We cannot provide legal advice.
We cannot investigate claims of abuse or neglect.
We cannot investigate complaints against attorneys, judges, guardians ad litem or magistrates.

The Office of Colorado’s Child Protection Ombudsman outlines its case practices and procedures in this document.